I haven't really gotten down and dirty with my car. Since I bought it, I've been making minimal evaluations/repairs, simply due to my embarrassing lack of knowledge in automotive. However, now into my first month of being an official Auto Tech student; it's become obvious that I'm a neglectful, bad car owner and need to actually start addressing some of the issues at hand. Especially if I plan to, you know...actually drive it around. Ive been totally unable to find service manuals for my car. I found one broad brush manual that covered about a dozen auto models from 69-74, but the write ups for the Maverick were skimpy. Ive got a nice floor jack and four jack stands (thanks to a guy friend who thought me finally making it into this training program was the bees knees). Question....best lifting points on the car? I'll admit....I'm a ball of nerves about doing something wrong and causing irreversible damage to the old girl. Thanks!
If you're OK with E-Bay, I got a full set of 5 printed manuals for $76 (5 yrs ago) but they are cheaper in CD/DVD format...
I like to lift the back with a floor jack under the center of the rear axle (rubber pad on the jack is nice) and put jack stands under the horizontal section of the springs, the rear axle tubes, or rear torque boxes. I usually lift the front with a floor jack under the crossmember that hangs down behind the radiator and put jack stands under the front torque boxes. Whever you put the jack stands, be sure they're under a level surface of the car structure. Never trust a hydraulic jack to hold the car with you under it. Its best to have the jack stands on level concrete but never on dirt or gravel. When you're lifting the car with the suppied jack, make sure the jack is in the slot in the pinch weld. Otherwise you'll bend the pinch weld. Pick up some wheel chocks and carry them to use with the supplied jack. Use the chocks in front and behind the diagonally opposite wheel if you're on a level area.
I place them under the rear axle and front torque boxes unless i remove something structual. In that case i place the front ones under the lower control arms out by the lower ball joints.
